


Foxhunt

by thewordweaver



Series: Discontinued Kpop Works [4]
Category: EXO (Band), 소녀시대 | Girls' Generation | SNSD
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-21
Updated: 2016-10-21
Packaged: 2018-08-23 19:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8339290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewordweaver/pseuds/thewordweaver
Summary: "Maybe if you had listened to the witch when she warned you not to do that, you wouldn't have found yourself in this situation, now would you?"(Based loosely off of The Swan Princess)





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> hiya hello just reposting things that I had deleted from my old old very old asianfanfics account lmao  
> I am very much not really in the kpop scene anymore so these are just here for the sake of being here
> 
> so this is one of the few series that I had started back on aff.com that bc I'm not into the kpop fandom anymore... is discontinued  
> the a/n at the very end of the work will be me explaining where I was planning on going with this story from where I stopped it to the end of it  
> it will be this way with any other kpop series that I started and shown is discontinued
> 
> date originally posted on aff.com: very early 2014  
> {all subsequent notes are from then as well except for the very very last note}

### " ** _Rot in hell, Byun Baekhyun._** " These are the words that seal her fate.

 

“Honestly, Gwen, you should be flattered. You act like it isn’t a valid—”

“Because it  _ isn’t _ , you insensitive  _ prick _ ! Why the  _ hell  _ would I be  _ flattered _  that you suddenly want to marry me, all because I’m now deemed ‘fuckable’ in your eyes? Now you’re suddenly so  _ eager _  to jump at the chance, after a fucking  _ decade _  of you whining and complaining about how ugly and annoying I was?”

He opened his mouth to protest, but he had no rebuttal against her argument. Though they were crass and outrageously vulgar, he could not argue with her words. Now that she had grown up from being that obnoxious, stuck-up, chubby five-year-old girl to this obnoxious, stuck-up,  _ stunning _  twenty- year-old woman, his qualms about being forced to marry her had practically disappeared overnight.

“I’m right, aren’t I? Yeah, I thought so.” Her harsh bark caused him to cringe slightly. He had always hated when she was right; it had always been full of gloating of some sort. “Well, I have news for you,  _ Baekkie _ .” He cringed again, frowning in distaste from the usage of his least favorite childhood name. “This is one girl you can’t charm into your bed, no matter how determined you may be.” Gwendolyn turned sharply on her heel, intentionally making a show of her exit by having her boots click loudly atop the marble floor.

“Gwen, wait—that part's not true—!”

“ _ Rot in hell, Byun Baekhyun _ ,” she hissed, the verbal bite almost lethal.

She turned around once she was outside of the manor, her anger giving her the strength to shove the heavy double doors shut in front of her, the slam resonating in the air. When she looked away from the doors to give a cursory glance to her surroundings, she jumped back slightly, seeing the woman that was casually leaning against the walls, inspecting her nails.

“What the—who the hell are you and how the hell did you get here?”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

She looked at the woman in confusion before shaking her head, turning to face the stairs. “Whoever you are, you should leave before I have someone call the cops.” She shook her head, muttering something about how Baekhyun needed to keep his women off of her property as she strutted to her car.

She glanced down to dig through her purse for her keys, noting something in her peripheral view to her right again when she lifted her head.

“I  _ really _  wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Jesus  _ Christ _ —”

“You’re making a big mistake here,” she sang.

Gwendolyn just continued to stare at the woman in shock, eyes flickering back and forth between the manor wall and the side of her car. “How did you—”

“If you leave, this won’t end well for you.”

“… Are you  _ threatening  _ me?”

“Just stating a fact, Your Highness.”

She was tempted to punch that smirk right off this bitch’s face. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you don’t own me, okay? Now get off my car and get off my estate.”

The woman merely sighed in response, dropping the hand she was inspecting as her body slacked. “Why must you all insist on doing this the hard way?” Gwendolyn rolled her eyes as the woman “babbled unintelligibly,” as she had said to herself under her breath, opening her car door and getting one heeled boot onto the floor.

Before she could process what was happening, she found herself on the ground, groaning as she rolled from side to side. She felt as though someone had slammed into her at full force, leaving her winded, short of breath, and crippled with pain. Her consciousness was slipping by the second, the battle to keep her eyes opening proving unsuccessful.

“I warned you,” the woman muttered with another tired sigh, running a hand through her hair. She squatted down next to Gwendolyn, watching the girl who gasped for air with frantic panic in her eyes as her world faded into darkness.

She heard one last phrase before the feeling swept her away, the words echoing in her thoughts as the remnants of her consciousness were consumed.

“And so your curse begins.”


	2. Act I, Scene I

### " ** _I'm... I'm new to this._** " These are the words that make her uneasy.

 

‘ _ Ugh, god, that was terrible _ ,’ she thought as she came to, emitting a groan as she opened her eyes.

But something sounded a little off about her groan.

She instead questioned why she was still on the ground, staring up at the sky as she brought her hands up to run through her hair… finding pure black paws in their place. “ **What the** —” She quickly scrambled to her feet, finding that she could not stand on just her two new hind legs, falling to the ground and standing on all four paws. “ **What is—what happened to my body!? Where are my legs, my hands!?** ” She glanced behind herself and found a long, fluffy black tail, tipped with white. “ **_What the hell is going on!?_ ** ”

“Oh, you’re finally awake! I see you’ve noticed a few things about yourself since the last time you were up.”

“ **… You! What did you do to me!?** ” Instinctively, her ears folded back and her lip curled as she snarled, the sound threatening as it rumbled in her throat. “ **Who the hell are you and why did you turn me into a… a…!** ”

“A fox, sweetheart. You’re a fox.” The woman chortled as she shook her head. “The fates must  _ really _  not have liked what you did to turn you into that at this time of the year. Oh boy, this’ll be a doozy.” Gwendolyn stared at her questioningly before her ears perked and her now-chartreuse eyes widened with realisation.

The annual foxhunt was starting tomorrow.

“ **Well, what are you waiting for!? Are you trying to get me** **_killed_ ** **!? Change me back!** ”

“Sorry, Your Highness, but no can do. I had nothing to do with your transformation. I don’t have that kind of power.” The woman began to float in the air, posing as if she was lying on her side with one hand propping up her head as she inspected the nails on her other hand just like before. “Maybe if you had listened to the witch when she warned you not to do that, you wouldn’t have found yourself in this situation, now would you?” She tsked with disapproval.

Gwendolyn sat on her haunches as she stared at the ground with her ears folded back in defeat, contemplating her next move. Then, looking back up at the witch, she said, “ **You know something. You were even the one to warn me about this happening, so could you tell me about why this happened?** **_Please_ ** **?** ”

“Mm, well, since you asked so nicely…” The witch dropped her hand, but remained in the same position in the air, staring down at her. “Well, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, you’ve been cursed and it turned you into a fox. The higher-ups wouldn’t give me the details, but apparently, there’s someone you’re supposed to be marrying that you’ve decided not to. So until you resolve that issue with that person, the curse will stay in effect. Those are all the details I’ve been permitted to give you.” ‘ _ … Well, what I can remember anyway… _ ’

The fox nodded, having to frown internally since her new jaws could not. ‘ _ Make things up with  _ Baekhyun _? I’d rather die. _ ’ “ **Is there anything else you can tell me? Anything at all?** ”

“Sure. For one, I’m the only one that can understand you, so don’t try speaking to anyone else. All they’ll hear are yips and barks and all that. Also, you’re the only one that can see me. I’m your personal witch for the duration of the curse. Think of me as your magical advisor. I’m supposed to help you stay out of trouble… well, too much of it anyway.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “Don’t worry, I’ve dealt with plenty of these. You’ll be fine.”

“ **Is this how it goes for all curses?** ”

“Essentially, yes.” The witch righted herself and stepped softly onto the ground, squatting down in front of her. “I’m Taeyeon. Just gimme a holler and I’ll show up, alright?” She held out her hand and the other placed her paw in it, the pair giving each other a short, simple shake.

“ **I’m Gwendolyn… but something tells me you already knew that.** ”

The witch smiled, winking. “Indeed.”

Just as the former opened her mouth to ask another question, her ears swiveled once they picked up on the sound of thunderous footsteps produced by a group of people.

‘ _ Shit. They’re already here...! _ ’ “ **What do I do,** **_what do I do!?_ ** ” she howled as she began to pace around in circles, anxious.

“You know, you  _ do _  realise you just—”

“Guys, did you hear that? That sounded like a—” The witch disappeared suddenly when the voices got closer, swearing under her breath.

“Looks like we’re starting the hunt a day early.” The fox froze up upon hearing these words, overwhelmed with the sense of panic. By the time the group came into view, she was staring in fear, mind blank as she could not figure out what to do.

“Is that a silver coat? If we kill it now and show it to them tomorrow, we’ll automatically win the foxhunt!” She heard the shutter of a phone’s camera going off, knowing the next and presumably last thing she would hear was the bang of a shotgun, finally aware of the one being pointed straight at her.

And these particular fox hunters never missed their target.

With a yelp, her fight or flight kicked in as she scrambled away, immediately accustomed to her new quadrupedal form before disappearing into the thicket of bushes that lined the estate. ‘ _ And of course, when I become a fox, I have to be one with the rarest coat color! _ ’ She kept running until she collapsed in exhaustion in the middle of the forest, the adrenaline rush from the near-death experience wearing her out.

“ **_Taeyeon!_ ** ” she barked at nothing, lip curled back once the witch appeared before her. “ **What the** **_hell_ ** **was that!? Aren’t you supposed to be** **_helping_ ** **me? You left me for** **_dead!_ ** ”

“… Sorry. I panicked.” She paused, trying her lip as she deliberated sharing the truth. “W-well… you see… I’m not actually sure if I casted the right spell to make sure that no one else can see me but you. I’m… I’m new to this. I just became a full-fledged witch not too long ago and this is the first time I’ve actually been assigned to a curse on my own.”

“ **…** **_What!?_ ** **Then what was all that about—!** ”

“Oh, I have… indirectly… while watching other witches… and helping them out while I was training…”

“ **… So basically, you’re a rookie witch with minimal knowledge at best about how this curse business works.** ”

“No! … Yes.”

“ **I’m doomed** ,” she moaned, the sound a piercing wine to all other creatures around. “ **So how much of what you told me about the curse is actually true?** ”

“ _ All of it _ ,” she said with a defensive huff, scowling as she bristled. “I’m just… missing a few details. There’s more to it than that, but I can’t recall them… and now that I’m official, I’m not allowed to use the Witches’ Rulebook anymore.” She ran a hand through her hair, sighing heavily. “This is a disaster, isn’t it?” Gwendolyn was ready to snap another sharp, biting remark about the obviousness of her statement, but seeing the pitiful, apologetic look on the other woman’s face deflated her cynicism.

Instead, she sighed and gave her the best half-smile she can muster, murmuring, “ **Well, we’ll just have to make the most of it. It’ll be a learning experience for the both of us.** ” She stood up again, padding off and glancing over her shoulder as Taeyeon trailed shortly behind her, floating along slowly to keep up. “ **It’s kinda comforting, actually, having someone around who knows about as much as you do. Now you’re not allowed to be like the witches they always talk about in fairy tales, always speaking in riddles and intentionally being cryptic and withholding information and all that nonsense.** ”

Taeyeon sniffed indignantly, offended that she would make such a comparison. “Excuse you; those stupid fables are a bunch of lies. Most witches don’t curse or condemn humans. Only the bitter, rogue ones do that and violate the rules. We’re good people; it’s your kind that resents us just because a few of you decided to push the wrong buttons on the wrong witches.”

Gwendolyn chortled internally at how defensive the other had become about it. “ **No need to get your panties in a knot, girly. I was only making an observation. I won’t stereotype you based on children’s fairy tales from now on, alright?** ”

She rubbed under her nose with her finger, chin jutted out and feathers still considerably ruffled. “Good. You’d better not.”

The fox smiled to herself as they strolled through the forest, amused to have discovered someone just as rough around the edges as she was. The uncertainty of the situation had been rather disorienting and uncomforting, but if Taeyeon was coming along for the ride, then maybe the curse would not be so bad after all.

Unknowledgeable rookie witch or not.

* * *

“Oh my god! Gwen! You’re glowing!”

The pair had been chatting away casually at the edge of the lake they had found, watching the sunset, when the female fox’s outline had begun to glow, light motes escaping from her body.

And of course, with both knowing nothing about this occurrence, she began to panic. “ **What’s happening!? Is this bad!? Is this good!?** ”

“Uhm… uhm…!” Taeyeon’s hands flitted every around every which way, finding that her magic had not been doing anything to make the glowing stop. “I think… this… ah…!” She closed her eyes tight as her hands fell to her sides in fists, thinking hard to recall what the glowing meant. “Oh!” she exclaimed once the realisation hits her moments later. “You’re—!”

But Gwendolyn had already been consumed by light, her body floating a metre off of the ground. The witch watched in amazement as her hind legs stretch, becoming two human ones, toes and all; her front legs become arms, paws extending to become hands, fingers splaying. But she noticed something rather peculiar as her snout shrank and a mouth and nose appeared in its place, all of the fur disappearing from the surface of her skin.

The ears and tail remained during all of this, resizing themselves to become properly proportioned to her natural form.

Suddenly, the light disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared, the girl’s unconscious body falling to the ground with unusual grace. In its wake, the light had left behind a girl of ochre skin and wavy ebony hair… who had currently been completely unclothed.

“O-oh god.” Taeyeon quickly extended her arms with a blush, conjuring up clothes to appear on the part-fox, making her a bit more decent. ‘ _ Should have seen that one coming… her clothes  _ did _  come off when she first transformed… _ ’

A few minutes later, olive green eyes flutter open, Gwendolyn groaning as she sat up, rubbing her temples. “Jesus, why do I always feel like shit when—” Realising she could feel her own  _ fingers _  rubbing at her temples, she pulled her hands away, gaping down at them and gasping in shock. “Is it—!? Have I—!?”

“I hate having to ruin this moment for you, but no.” Taeyeon pointed above her head, then at her bottom, and the other female checked these areas on her own body. “What the hell?” She tugged lightly at the top of her fox ears, then at her fox tail, scowling upon finding that they were real and would not be coming off anytime soon. “Seriously?”

“Your curse makes it so that you turn back into a human at dusk and a fox at dawn. It also makes it so that you have some remnants of what your curse turns you into when you change back into a human, for ‘you can’t return to normal society until you break the curse or everyone will think you’re a freak’ purposes,” she shared. “I remembered all of this while you were doing that magical, mystical glowing stuff.”

“And you’re telling me not to stereotype all of this when this is pretty much grade-A, textbook fairytale clichés?” she muttered under her breath, her ears folding flat as she shrank away from the other, knowing she had been heard when a piercing gaze narrowed its eyes at her. She then brushed off the glare as she looked down at herself, eyebrow piquing when she finally noticed what she was wearing: besides a bra and panties, she was clothed in a simple, moss green spaghetti-strap sundress that ended just above her knees. “This is new.”

“Oh, I did that. You were…  _ unclothed _  when you turned back.” Gwendolyn scowled in embarrassment at the comment, her tail falling flat like her ears. “Anyway, it’s getting dark and you’re pretty much stuck out here, so…” Taeyeon closed her eyes as she extended her hands, her hair beginning to float in the air around her face as sticks began to pile atop each other a few meters away, a fire sprouting from the pile moments later. To the left, distanced safely away from the fire, a military tent appeared, the lantern inside flickering to life.

“You’re pretty far away from civilization out here, so it’s okay to go all out right now. There’s a sleeping bag inside of the tent, she said once her arms had dropped and her eyes were open once again. “There’s food in there too, in a chest, but you’ll have to cook that with spices and utensils and all that; those are also in the chest. If you need anything else inside of the tent, just let me know. It’s pretty spacious, as you can see.”

“Oh, I bet,” the other mumbled as she surveyed everything, incredibly amazed. “Taeyeon?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

The witch smiled slightly at the genuine comment of gratitude, quickly hiding away her own gratitude that had appeared upon hearing those two words with her usual smug smirk. “No problem. What kind of witch would I be if I didn’t help my cursed assignment?”

“The one from the fairy tales, apparently.”

“Will you—”

Gwendolyn laughed as she easily dodged the punch Taeyeon had tried to land on her, walking over to the tent. “Alright, I have my own things to do now. Other witch matters to attend to and all that. Will you be alright by yourself?”

The half-fox nods, waving her off. “I wouldn’t want to keep the witch away from her cauldron for  _ too  _ long.”

“ _ Goodbye, Gwendolyn _ .”

She tried and failed to contain her laughter as her mythical assistant vanished, pushing aside the curtain of the tent and heading over to the chest with a hand on her stomach when it growled at her, signaling her hunger.

As she stabbed a piece of steamed broccoli on her paper plate, she studied the lake as she sat by the shore again, mesmerised as it glittered in the moonlight. If this was what her life would be like while the curse was in effect, she would take this over a miserable life with Baekhyun any day.

She just had to survive the foxhunts first.

* * *

so like uh

[ silver foxes are an actual thing ](http://www.foxforest.com/upclose/furmatters.shtml)  and they look  [](http://24.media.tumblr.com/9e8d40fa6007268c6945ecfcdc3dcfc5/tumblr_mudwt3Vbn11ri9flro3_1280.jpg) like this   
and they  _ are _  actually rare   
foxes in general are sought after for their coats   
the reason behind it in this story is not only for that tho but we'll cross that bridge when we get there   
~~ can you tell I hate leaving author's notes I try not to but sometimes it's important for explaining context and all that   
blarg ~~


	3. Act I, Scene II

### " ** _Let the hunt... Begin!_** " These are the words that cause her panic.

 

Even way out there in the forest, she could still hear the ceremonial fanfare. At the sound, she glanced up from the breakfast she was cooking, knowing she probably did not have much longer. ‘ _ The actual hunt doesn’t start until noon… but they always did enjoy announcing the day on a grand scale, even at such an ungodly hour… _ ’

She sighed, running a hand through mussed hair, finding no use in really brushing it out when she would be transforming again within the hour, tail twitching nervously, ears folded back. ‘ _ Dawn, she said… it’s five in the morning now and the sun doesn’t come up ‘til six. _ ’ She chewed anxiously at her lower lip. ‘ _ How am I supposed to last ninety days without encountering a hunter? There’s no place in this forest they don’t search. And they’ll be sure to investigate this campsite once they come across it. _ ’

“You look a little worked up there, Gwennie.”

“Jesus Chri—! Can you at least  _ warn _  someone before you just pop up out of nowhere!?” Her ears stood up straight with her tail at attention as she turned to see the witch sitting beside her to her right, watching the eggs cook in the pan. “I like making flashy entrances. You’re lucky I skipped out on the dazzling neon lights this time.”

“… ‘ _ This time, _ ’” Gwendolyn muttered, shaking her head. “Anyway, I didn’t think you’d be back so early. I figured you’d rest longer after spending all night stirring your cauldron and making hexes.”

“You know, if you wanted to tell me that you don’t want my help anymore, you could just tell me directly rather than making these jokes.” Taeyeon huffed, one corner of her lip curled downward while her nose lifted into the air. “If you want to make it up to me, make me breakfast too.”

“Huh. I didn’t think witches could consume mere mortal food, much less require sustenance,” she muttered as she grabbed the carton of eggs, cracking two more into the pan.

“Don’t think I didn’t hear that, because I did.” The human rolls her eyes, mumbling some more under her breath about sensitive witches with fairy-tale-denial complexes.

Once she had made a small breakfast of eggs and sausage with  toasted  grilled bread (a correction duly pointed out by the magical companion), the two sat next to each other by the lake, watching the small but steady waterfall that ran over the intricate rock formation towering above it.

“So. You’re transforming in about half an hour.” Taeyeon commented casually, noting the way the sky is slowly but surely becoming tinged with a soft orange. “So I am.”

“Are you still going to the ceremony? You know they run straight into the forest once the logs are lit.”

“I have to. I still technically have to be there, even if I can’t let anyone see me and I won’t be in a more acceptable form.” Her ears laid flat again now, tail limp against the grass. “It’s a tradition that exceeds me and that I’ve been in attendance for all my life. I can’t break tradition, you know?”

“I can only protect you so much. Protocol states that I am supposed to help you, but I can’t meddle with the fates. I can’t save you if you die.” Before she could ask, the witch added, “Contrary to popular belief, we do not create things out of thin air and we cannot instantaneously bring dead things back to life. That’s a power far beyond us.”

She glanced to her right with her brow knit, more questions on her tongue. “Really? Then where did all of what you gave me last night come from?”

“… Stores… farms… things like that. You’ve been to school and college, right? Do you remember what they said about energy in Physics? It’s one of the basic concepts you learn almost immediately about energy.” Gwendolyn thought for a moment, recalling the rule she could never forget because of how often it had been repeated.”Energy is neither created nor destroyed. It is only transferred from one form to another.”

“Precisely. And that’s how magic works. I can’t get into specifics because those are sworn secrets, but now you know the basic concept. If you died and I wanted to bring you back to life, I’d have to give up all of my life energy to give you yours.” Taeyeon cut off a piece of sausage, stabbing it and popping it into her mouth. “So try not to get yourself killed, okay? I don’t want to fail my first job.”

By the time 10am waltzed around, there was already a crowd of over 500 people standing in front of the Knight estate, a few among the crowd attending as reporters of the international event. Once the ceremonial fanfare began, the crowd’s chattering lulled to a hush, cheering once the head of Knight Industries Inc. walked onto the ornate platform.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome you all to our 200 th  annual Knight Foxhunt! Before we get started with the formalities, I would like to address everyone’s concerns over my missing daughter, Gwendolyn. I am aware that it breaks tradition, but I could see no valid reason for cancelling the historical event on its 200 th  anniversary. We are still searching for her, and I assure you, she will return from her runaway stint soon enough.”

“Doubtful,” Baekhyun mutters under his breath as he stands behind the platform, waiting with the rest of his nuclear family and the rest of Gwendolyn ‘s backstage. “When that girl says something, she means it.”

Though her words stung him a bit, he still could not understand what had caused her to become so bitter and hostile about their circumstances. ‘ _ We’re going to get married regardless of what either of us wants, so why not find something positive in it, however shallow the reason may be? _ ’ His eyes were closed as his arms were crossed over his chest, head tilted slightly to the left. ‘ _ And what was with that reaction? Did she really take all that teasing to heart? _ ’

He had been unsettled by the way she claimed he now saw her as, quote unquote, “fuckable.” Granted, he could not deny she, well, suited the term, but he had not been able to understand she had degraded herself to using such a detestable word about her own self, as that certainly was not the word he was going for. Yes, in his younger days, he had taunted and teased her, but he had always been sure to follow it up with a reminder that he was just messing around; sometimes he had even followed it with a compliment to negate whatever insult he had just used. And as they had grown older, he had the fortune of watching her bloom into the dazzling young woman she had become. By that point, the insults and taunts had stopped and he often (off-handedly, of course; he could not have her thinking he had fallen for her) complimented her on things, both minute and grand.

‘ _ So why the hell does she hate me so much? Were my comments as a child that effective? I can’t even recall the last time I insulted her… _ ’ He had never said anything so crude to or about her, not even behind closed doors; the “fuckable” word had come from her own thoughts and was said on her own lips. This had become quite the conundrum for the twenty-four year old.

“And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the heads of each house of hunters!”

The announcement snapped Baekhyun out of his thoughts, causing his posture to straighten before jogging behind his brother, Baekbeom. He and his family filed onto the stage so that they are on Knight Senior’s left (the stage’s right), and the rest of the Knight family standing on his right (the stage’s left). Knight Senior walked to the end of the line stage left, starting his introduction and short speech as the Head of House Lion. “As we all know, my daughter, unfortunately not in attendance today, has won the hunts for the last five years in a row. But, seeing as House Lavender is without a head this year, I believe we can claim her title as Head Hunter this year!”

Applause follows his speech as he passes the microphone to his wife Laura, Head of House Gazelle, the speeches continuing down the line; House Lavender followed, Knight Junior’s House Hornet trailing his sister’s; Sir Byun owned House Wolf, Lady Byun was the Head of House Snake, and Baekbeom headed House Crow. The speeches continued down this line until it stopped at Baekhyun, Head of House Nightshade, the last in both speaking order and the preceding five hunts. As soon as the microphone touches the tips of his fingers, he could hear the murmurs of amusement and the mocking chortles coming from the crowd. His jaw clenched and he worked it for a moment, eyes narrowing at his tormentors. “First and foremost, I do not intend to be made a fool of again this year.” Though he conducted his speech, the spectators and journalists continued to chatter through it, paying him no mind.

And if there was anything Baekhyun could not tolerate, it was receiving little respect when he himself paid his dues.

Putting his vocal skills to use, a short but powerful shout had been able to garner everyone’s attentions, some rubbing their ears in pain as they stared up at him with mild annoyance. But their stares paled in comparison to the one he used to intimidate each and every member of the crowd.

“Every single one of you will eat your words this year. I swear on it.”

Dropping the microphone as if it were mere trash, Baekhyun stalked off of the platform without another word, leaving everyone to gape in shock after him.

* * *

“Baek, come here. We’ve got something to show you. We found a way we can win for sure this year.” The deep voice greeted him as soon as he stepped into his team’s base while fixing the small camera to his blazer’s lapel, the base a cabin away from the Knight estate that rested near the edge of a clearing. “The hunt starts in about ten minutes, so make it quick.” Already the press had gathered near the center of the clearing, cameras trained on all eight cabins in the circle.

“We found a silver fox yesterday afternoon. Is that quick enough for you?” a higher voice stated, cynicism dripping thickly from his voice. Immediately, Baekhyun’s head snapped up, eyes trained on Jongdae. “You guys did  _ what _ ?” He then stared at the pair skeptically. “If this is some sort of joke—”

“I’m sure you’ll find this to be sufficient evidence.” The black-haired one extended his arm to show him the screen of the smartphone in his hand as the Head of House Nightshade practically ran up to it. Jaw dropping in disbelief, he unintentionally snatched the phone from his hand, gazing upon the incredibly clear picture of the fox.

In the back of his mind, he unconsciously questioned why it sat among the pile of clothes he recalled Gwendolyn wearing the last time he saw her, as well as her trademark navy blue Mini Cooper.

“Does anyone else—”

“Nope. We haven’t heard anyone else talking about it,” Chanyeol replied, his grin as wide as ever. “So what do you suggest we do?” Baekhyun thought for a moment before looking to Jongdae. “Where are the others? I’m sure our tacticians are already making plans.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” The latter shook his head as he led the way to the living room, where the other nine sat in a circle, a map of the forest spread out in the center on the floor.

Though Baekhyun was the head of the house, his role was really only to be the public representative of the team, seeing as it was his family that was closely involved with the Knights’. The true leaders of the hunt in House Nightshade were Junmyeon and Yifan, the tacticians. The former was currently explain formations and roles to the others, while the latter only added curt but constructive comments (as he had a bad habit of inelegant mumbling when speaking for long periods of time). Both were especially proficient in adjusting plans on the fly, which had always come in handy during the bouts of sabotage.

Minseok and Lu Han, the oldest on the team, had assumed the role of runner and tracker respectively, where their job was not to kill the foxes, but to follow, chase, corner, and injure them until they could no longer outrun their pursuers. They were also good lookouts, able to trail a fox for days on end.

Yixing had a very low-key but incredibly vital skill as the medic and veterinarian of the team. Despite the appearances they all had to portray to the media, the hunts were actually far more vicious than everyone had believed, as the houses themselves had been known to injure (and at some points, almost murder) one another and their hounds for the title and for more fox hides. He was also exceedingly exceptional in patching up hides so that they could be sold at a higher price. He did not particularly enjoy watching the animals die, so he fell back as often as he possibly could.

Jongdae, with his cunning skills and quick-thinking, was the traps expert in the group. Rather than killing the foxes in the brutish, most common way, he preferred taking the more intricate, gentle approach, even going so far as to give the creatures mercy kills when he could tell they were suffering. Sehun was his usually stone-faced assistant, though he was more sympathetic to the animals than he let on.

Contrasting the silent but clever pair, Chanyeol and Jongin were a force to be reckoned with. The two were the weapons experts of the group, skilled in traditional methods like bows and bloodhounds, to modern ones, like guns and flares. The former had enjoyed more bombastic and showy kills, while the latter preferred quieter, more subtle approaches.

Kyungsoo, besides being the resident chef, had excelled in rationing supplies and managing numbers when it came to funding, buying, and selling. He and Baekhyun worked together to manage their income so that the money was not going anywhere it should not have been, as well as making negotiations with the high-end companies that were always demanding fox hides.

Zitao had a category all to himself; without him, funding and sponsorship would not have been possible in the first place. He, like Yixing, did not particularly enjoy killing things and watching them die, so instead, he had become their social media representative. The social network butterfly had been the one to interact with their fans the most, painting the group in a proper light to gain support and sponsorship from companies that were more than willing to shell out millions for the three-month-long hunt.

When the fanfare sounded off outside, the group quieted instantly, getting to their feet to shuffle outside. At the door of each cabin, a beagle sat on either side of the cabin’s front door, waiting obediently for their owners. Each team filed outside of their cabin and to the center of the clearing with their beagles in tow, Baekhyun’s father taking Gwendolyn’s place as torch-bearer, seeing as he had come in second place last year. Once each team stands distanced away from the pile of logs, Sir Byun surveyed the gathering, lifting his arm into the air.

“Let the hunt…” He throws the torch down into the pile, the flame igniting the second the torch touches the kindling. “Begin!”

Immediately, the head of each house shouts orders at their team and at their beagles, dogs barking as they race into the forest. Their owners are quick to follow, trailing the animals in hopes that they will be the first to catch a fox.

“And House Hornet scores the first kill!” all ninety-five hunters hear announced from their phones, a blip following after as it updates the current score.

“The hunt has just begun! How will these next ninety days pan out?”

* * *

The moment the fire sparked to life, Gwendolyn knew she had to get the hell out of there.

And fast.

Hearing the barking of the beagles, she yelped in fear, adrenaline coursing through her body. As her paws pattered promptly against the ground, she could see glimpses of the other actual, unsuspecting foxes, beginning to run in the same direction she was when the barking drew nearer. “ **I can’t die here!** ” Though she tried her damned hardest to outrun the dogs, they were gaining on her.

Suddenly, she felt herself being tackled to the ground, a familiar tri-colored beagle mere centimeters away from her jugular as it snarled viciously, trying to press down against the extended paws keeping it at bay. In her moment of panic, while searching for an escape, she stole a glance at the dog’s collar, reading the named engraved in silver. “ **Amelia! Amelia, it’s me! Gwendolyn! Your owner!** ”

“ **... Master Gwen?** ” Immediately, the assault stopped as the beagle stepped back, head tilting in confusion. “ **But… Gwen are fox?** ” While her dog stood in confusion, she took off. “ **Wait! Master Gwen! Come back! If Gwen are fox, Gwen get attacked! Amelia can protect!** ”

Though she heard her dog’s barks loud and clear, she continued to flee, running first and thinking about where she was headed second. As she took a right turn, she came across a sight that made her skid to a stop, leaving her in a state of paralyzed shock.

Her brother’s beagle, Ophelia, had her paws pressed on a pitiful fox’s sternum, teeth sinking into the game’s jugular before ripping out its throat, blood gushing from where the muscle was torn from its neck, a chunk of flesh locked between the canine’s teeth. Both foxes’ eyes met as the life faded from its eyes, taking its last dying breath.

She screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah I changed the rating  
> any guess as to why  
> first two don't count


	4. Act I, Scene III

### " ** _They… saw everything._** " These are the words that make her sick.

 

The shrill cry of the vixen brought attention to her, the beagles in the area snapping their heads in her direction. “ **Oh no… oh no,** **_please_ ** **…** ” Just as one lunged for her, Amelia interrupted, tackling the other dog away. “ **No! This one mine! Stay away!** ” She lowered her head and growled, her lip curling back to snarl at the others.

Getting the message, the others dispersed except for Ophelia, who stayed near the dead fox to wait for one of the Hornet members. “ **Master Gwen, leave with Amelia. Other masters come soon. Masters will kill Master Gwen.** ” She whined, rubbing the side of her head against her owner’s chest. “ **Will hide. Follow Amelia.** ” The beagle stood to attention and sniffed the air before taking off, the fox in tow.

The pair ran for a few minutes before finally coming to a stop, the forest around them silent and still. “ **Safe out here.** ” Her beagle turned to face her before tackling her to the ground, licking her face excessively as she whined. “ **Master Gwen are fox, but Master Gwen back! Amelia miss Master Gwen!** ”

“ **Dear god, Amelia, stop!** ” Immediately, she pulled back, but she shuffled from paw to paw, tail wagging excitedly as she continued to whine. “ **I was only gone for a day.** ”

“ **That are long time for Amelia!** ” she cried, the noise sharp in tone and high in pitch. Gwendolyn cringed at the pain it caused her ears. “ **Okay, okay, I get it. You missed me. Now relax. Sit.** ” The dog did so, waiting patiently for her next command. “ **You said you’ll protect me, right?** ”

“ **Yes! Amelia always protect Master Gwen, even if Master Gwen are fox!** ”

“ **So you** **_won’t_ ** **kill me, correct?** ”

“ **Amelia never hurt Master Gwen! Master Gwen are master, even if master are fox!** ”

Gwendolyn breathed a little easier as she sat up. “ **Taeyeon!** ”

“Oh my god, Gwendolyn, I thought you were going to die back there how could you scare me like that my poor heart I almost lost you—”

“ **Were you crying?** ” She tilted her head slightly as she regarded her mythical friend, seeing how red her nose and eyes were.

“I almost failed my first mission!  _ Of course _  I’m crying!”

“ **Master Gwen, are lady nice? Will lady hurt Master Gwen?** ” Amelia stood up again, staring carefully at the witch, preparing herself to attack if her owner said the word. “ **No, no. She’s a friend. Her name is Taeyeon. She won’t hurt me. Don’t attack her. Please sit.** ”

“Aw, is this your dog? She’s so cute!” Taeyeon flew over to the canine, picking it up and cooing, to which Amelia wagged her tail happily.

“Please don’t call my dog cute. She’s trained to kill and can tear out your throat the moment I order her to.”

“Aw, look at her widdle nose and her widdle paws—oooh, she licked my nose! Who’s a cute little puppy? You! Yes, it’s you!”

She stared at the scene balefully, tail flicking as the witch held the dog like a baby in her arms, coddling the animal. “ **Seriously?** ”

“What? How could I say no to this face?” She brought the dog up so that their cheeks were touching, the both of them staring at her with big doe eyes. Amelia whined a little.

“This is ridiculous. Put my dog down.”

“Ugh, fine, you killjoy.” Once the witch set her dog down, Gwendolyn shook her head, starting to pace back and forth as she spoke. “Okay, so the hunt has started and my brother has gotten the first kill… my own house would have won by default if Amelia hadn’t recognized my voice.” She went up to the beagle, nuzzling against her in thanks in lieu of a hug.

“They would have won by default? How?”

“ **Oh, right. Witch. Alright, we’ll start from the top.** ” She motioned for Taeyeon to sit with a wave of her paw, with her doing the same. “ **So my family and Baekhyun’s have known each other for centuries now, and to exemplify their status, they began holding a foxhunt tournament every year since 1814. I’ll spare you the boring, historical details and skip right to the rules and regulations. Only the current generation, once they are of age, and the generations prior of the direct descendants of the Knight Family and the Byun Family are allowed to participate. Those in the generation prior may choose to opt out; my father is an only child, but Baekhyun’s uncle did not want himself or his family participating. Currently, we have eight houses: Lion, my father; Gazelle, my mother; Lavender, mine; Hornet, my brother; Wolf, Sir Byun; Snake, Lady Byun; Crow, Baekbeom, Baekhyun’s brother; and Nightshade, Baekhyun himself. Each team has twelve members, including the head. Now, though we can all more than afford all the supplies ourselves, getting sponsorship from big-name companies helps, as it not only gets us free stuff, but more funding, and they get free advertisement. We also get a lot of support from the people who like watching the hunt; it’s a huge internationally watched event. We even have cameras, GPS systems, and microphones attached to each member and dog—** ”

All three went still, looking over at Amelia’s collar. Swearing profusely, Gwendolyn quickly ripped it off of her neck with her teeth, tossing it at Taeyeon’s feet. “ **Stomp on it. All over it.** ” As her companion made quick work of the collar, she groaned, rubbing at her face with the sides of her paws. “We need to move.” Her ears flickered when she could hear the sound of an engine in the distance. “ **_And fast_ ** **. You, Taeyeon, can leave until I call you again. You, Amelia, are coming with me.** ”

Once the witch had vanished, the pair of canidae began to run, distancing themselves from the ATV she was sure was heading their way. After running for a few minutes non-stop, the pair slowed down, the beagle wagging her tail happily from the great run while the fox collapsed from exhaustion. ‘ _ Forget the hunters. I’ll die from being so out of shape! _ ’ “ **Tae… Taeyeon!** ” she panted.

“This hunt just got a lot harder for you, didn’t it?”

With distress clear on her vulpine face, she nodded. “ **They… saw everything. Everyone… in the entire world… watching the stream… saw me.** ” Taking a moment to close her eyes and catch her breath, she reopened them so she could continue. “ **The rules state that, by the end of the hunt, whoever has the most fox hides wins… but…** ”

“But?”

“ **If one team can successfully snag and kill a real silver fox before the hunt ends, the hunt is cut short, and that team wins by default. A silver hide is a rarity among foxes, meaning it is very difficult to even find one, much less capture it. Because of this, once one is spotted, it becomes the goal of every house to be the first to get it.** ”

Hearing this explanation, realization finally dawned on Taeyeon’s face, her eyes wide as she covered her mouth with both hands. “And you… your coat color… you’re a…”

“ **Silver fox. And for the 200** **th** **anniversary of our annual foxhunt, I will be this year’s main target for the next ninety days.** ”

* * *

[ _ Uh, guys, you may want to check today’s main headlines… especially the ones that are trending on Facebook and Twitter… _ ] Baekhyun frowned at the mass text sent out by Zitao, knowing that whenever he sent out a text like that, it was usually bad news, especially since he did not tell them what was trending right then and there. Merely searching “[ _ foxhunt 2014 _ ]” on Google would get the latest headlines to appear.

And what he saw nearly caused him to drop his phone.

Swearing profusely, he was just in the midst of dialing Chanyeol’s number when the wanted man himself called him instead. “Did you get Tao’s text?”

“Yes.”

“Did you look up—”

“ _ Yes _ .”

Silence took hold of both ends of the line for a few moments. “I just watched a video of that part of the stream. It’s absolutely insane. Gwen’s dog just jumped on the thing and she was just about to kill it! And then… and then, all of a sudden, Amelia just… stopped.”

His brow furrowed in confusion. “What do mean ‘just stopped?’?” He knew better than anyone else that her dog was absolutely ruthless. He had had Amelia sicced on him more times than he would have liked. He took a moment to stop walking, rubbing his shin unconsciously at the memories. “Like, she just stopped trying to attack the fox?”

“Yeah! She even defended it from another dog! And then she went and followed it around, like she and the fox were old friends or something! You need to watch it yourself. It’s crazy. I’ll send you the link in a second. But you know what this means, right? It’s gonna be an all-out war to catch this thing now.”

“Tell me about it.” Baekhyun rubbed his forehead with a heavy sigh. “But I’m sure Yifan and Junmyeon are already on it. You should probably call them to see what they have to say.”

“Will do. Text me once you’ve watched it.”

A few seconds later, Baekhyun’s phone went off again, a link to the video they were talking about sent by Chanyeol. He had a few other texts sent to him while he had been talking to his best friend, but he would check them later. ‘ _ I’m pretty sure I know what they’re about anyway… I need to see what he’s talking about first… _ ’ Opening the link, he grunted at the length of the video, seeing it was about twenty minutes long. ‘ _ I probably won’t need to watch all of it anyway… _ ’ Sighing, he started the video, watching Amelia’s collar cam. He cringed slightly from the vicious snarls, remembering when they were once (and twice and thrice) used on him, but the memories soon became the least of his worries. He stared in shock as he heard a shout coming from the video in a very familiar voice. “ **Amelia! Amelia! It’s me! Gwendolyn! Your owner!** ”

Immediately, he paused the video, absolutely baffled as to why he was hearing Gwendolyn’s voice… and why it seemed to be coming from the fox. He furrowed his brow again, going over to sit against one of the trees, feeling he had to watch the entire video now. By the time he had finished watching it, he had a pile of questions about it, knowing that many of them, if not  _ all _  of them, were unanswerable. He texted Chanyeol back anyway.

[ _ Hey, did you send me like some weird dubbed over version? And who was that chick that picked up Amelia? ] A few minutes later, he got a response. [ No. That was a rip straight from the original stream. They didn’t add anything to it. Also, lol what chick? ] “What does he mean ‘what chick?’ Didn’t he see that woman picking her up?" [ That part after they stop running together. Shortly after that, some woman appears and starts cooing to the fox about Amelia. _ ]

[ _ … Uh… the audio and video start distorting after that and the stream died because the collar got crushed somehow. Baek, are you okay? What lady are you talking about? _ ]

Blinking at the reply, he went back and found that moment in the video, the visuals clearly not distorting and a woman clearly appearing and said woman  _ clearly _  picking up Amelia. ‘ _ How is he not seeing this? _ ’ Testing something out, he sent a mass text to the rest of the group. [ Byun Baekhyun (4:50pm): Did you guys see that video of the silver fox? There’s a part after Amelia and the fox stop running that some lady appears and picks Gwen’s dog up. Do any of you know that girl? ]

[ _**Kim Jongin (4:51pm):** Nope. I only got distortion. Did you get someone to decipher through the distortion already? _ ] He would never cease to be amazed at just how fast that boy could text.

[ _**Huang Zitao (4:52pm):** Chanyeol told me you would probably ask everyone about that. I haven’t seen anyone else comment about if they’ve seen anything else but the distortion past that point, but I’ll let you know if anything comes up. I, for one, don’t think you’re crazy… yet. _ ] Zitao’s texting speed was also something to be admired.

[ _**Oh Sehun (4:53pm):** Nah. The video just distorts and the audio is choppy. I thought I might have heard a voice, though. _ ]

[ _**Wu Yifan (4:53pm):** Are you looking up weird videos on YouTube again? _ ] “… Thanks, Yifan.”

After the first four texts, the reply rate lowered drastically.

[ _**Kim Jongdae (5:03pm):** lol what are you watching? Are there theory videos already? _ ]

[ _**Lu Han (5:05pm):** Are you watching the one Chanyeol sent everyone? What girl lol _ ]

[ _**Kim Minseok (5:05pm):** What girl? It just distorts after that… _ ]

[ _**Kim Junmyeon (5:10pm):** It just distorts for me after that… _ ]

[ _**Zhang Yixing (5:12pm):** No. Just distortion._ ]

Figuring Kyungsoo was probably still typing up his response—if he was going to respond at all—Baekhyun stood up again, very much confused about what he saw and heard. ‘ _ I couldn’t have just imagined it… and that voice was definitely Gwen’s. _ ’ He thought back to that first picture he had seen of the fox, remembering how the fox was sitting in a pile of clothes he had seen her in just the day before, and how they were resting next to her car. Unconsciously, his mind was trying to piece things together, while his conscious mind was just incredibly puzzled. But there was one thing he knew for sure.

Gwendolyn’s disappearance was somehow related to this.

* * *

“ **Are you serious? You’re being really, extra, super-serious right now, aren’t you?** ”

“Well how  _ else _  are you gonna drink water? With a water bottle? You don’t exactly have  _ thumbs _  right now, Gwen-Gwen.”

“ **Okay, but a** **_dog bowl_ ** **!?** ”

After another run from the hounds cutting into their hours-long walk around the forest, both Gwendolyn and Amelia were rather burned out, starving and parched from all the energy they had exerted. To help, Taeyeon had conjured up a bowl of water and a bowl of dog food for the beagle, while only conjuring up a bowl of water for the fox, unsure of whether it would be a good idea for her to eat human food while in that form.

“Well a cup wouldn’t have worked either! Your snout wouldn’t have fit down the rest of the cup!” Amelia watched with interest as the two women bickered, her head turning back and forth every time one responded to the other, doing so between pauses to lap at the water or eat more kibble.

“ **A regular bowl would have sufficed! I’m not some animal!** ”

Both parties fell quiet to ponder over what she had just said, the witch beginning to stifle her laughter, both hands clasped over her mouth. “ **Don’t. Say. A word.** ”

“Well… I mean… normally you  _ aren’t _  an animal, but… at the moment…”

“ **Shut up! Shut up, shut up,** **_shut up_ ** **!** ” She did not need reminding that she practically set herself up and walked right into that one. “ **I can’t believe I’ve stooped so low… to accept being degraded and humiliated to this extent…** ” With a shake of her head, she walked over to and drank from the bowl, unconsciously licking at her nose to moisten it. Pausing, she looked down her snout, tilting her head slightly. “ **Well that was weird.** ”

“I’ll say. So any ideas on what you’ll eat? Raw meat’s definitely a viable option. I hear that’s what foxes like.”

“ **Yeah, well, not this one,** ” she retorted with a sneer, her lip curling back. “ **I’ll just wait to change back before I eat.** ”

“Gwenchana, I get it, but you have to eat  _ something _ , or you’ll faint. And I don’t think that’s a very good idea, considering you won’t be able to run away if someone comes after you. You haven’t eaten since this morning and all this running you’ve been doing is really taxing on your body, even for a fox. You know this.” Gwendolyn’s ears folded back in resignation as her tail twitched, knowing her companion was right. “ **Ugh, fine.** ” She sat, waiting for the witch to make something appear. But…

“ **Well?** ”

“Ah, w-well… do you remember what I said about everything I conjure has to come from somewhere?” The fox nodded. “If I make raw meat appear for you… that means I’d have to kill something for you.”

“ **… Lemme guess. You don’t want to kill a poor defenseless creature.** ” She rolled her eyes as the witch nodded. “ **Okay then, so why don’t you just make some packaged meat from a store appear? Like beef or something?** ”

“Well, from what I read, that’s not in a fox’s diet… and it wouldn’t be fresh meat…” The vulpine sighed heavily, rubbing at her face with her paws when nothing seemed to be working out. “ **Enlighten me, then. What** **_do_ ** **foxes eat?** ”

“Squirrels, rabbits… I read something about berries and vegetables as well, but I don’t think that’ll help you much right now…” Turning to Amelia once Taeyeon had trailed off, she said, “ **Amelia, I need you to do something for me.** ” The dog immediately sprang to attention, her head lifted in interest as she shifted from paw to paw, her tail wagging erratically. “ **Do you still remember how to catch a rabbit?** ” She nodded. “ **Good. If you want to help me some more, I need you to catch a rabbit, kill it, and bring it back here. Be careful not to run into any other people, okay? If you bring them back with you or if they follow you, they’ll probably kill me. You don’t want me dead, do you?** ”

The beagle whimpered and barked sadly in response, shaking out her whole body. “ **No! Amelia love Master Gwen!** ”

“ **And I love you too, Amelia. So you have to be very careful when you hunt, okay? And thank you,** ” she cooed, rubbing against her pet before sending her off.

Running through the forest at top speed, Amelia listened closely for any sounds, stopping and looking around carefully when she heard rustling nearby, detailing her surroundings. She waited, perking up when she saw the rabbit pop out, quickly hopping away from the predator on the hunt.

With a bark, she ran after it, having to come to a stop again when she lost its trail, sniffing at the ground. The typical scent of a rabbit filled her nose, the scent ingrained deep into the dog’s memory, as Gwendolyn had trained her how to track and chase them for months before moving onto animals like foxes and raccoons. Finding the trail, she ran in the direction the smell carried, the years of training keeping her focused on the hunt and nothing else.

Unfortunately, because of this, she did not notice the figure watching from afar.

Amelia tracked the rabbit for over an hour, the sun starting to dip in the sky once she finally managed to corner it. Lunging forward, the kill was quick and brief, her paws crushing its chest as she tore at its throat. She fell back, watching as its legs went from kicking powerfully to weakening with every kick, before stopping altogether. Proud of her kill, she turned the corpse over with her snout, grabbing it by the scruff as she trotted off, tail swinging left and right smugly.

However, now that her hunting period had ended, when she heard the shrill ring of a cell phone and the whisper of a swear, she froze, frantically searching for the source. ‘ _ Where is other master!? If other master follow Amelia, Master Gwen will die!’ _  In an instant, she bolted, growling when she heard the quick footsteps coming after her. When she tried to run faster, she found that the weight of the rabbit was slowing her down, not enough to let her pursuer catch up, but enough to keep her from getting him off of her trail. ‘ _ If Amelia drop rabbit, Amelia run faster and keep Master Gwen safe! But Master Gwen want rabbit! _ ’ With the way the hunter was slowly starting to gain on her, she was down to the wire in deciding her next course of action. Whining apologetically, she dropped her kill, taking off.

She ran aimlessly for a few minutes, intentionally circling about half a mile away from where she was supposed to meet with Gwendolyn, waiting until she could no longer hear footsteps chasing after her. Deeming it safe, she quickly ran back to where her owner and her owner’s friend were waiting, the pseudo-fox’s ears lifting up before falling flat with disappointment and confusion. “ **Amelia? Where’s the rabbit?** ” The blood on her dog’s muzzle was bright and glistening, signifying a fresh, recent kill. “ **Did you—** ”

“ **Master Gwen need run! Amelia heard other master! Amelia run so other master lost, but—** ”

All three head snapped up when they heard someone hurriedly crashing through the underbrush, heading straight for them. When they saw a gun emerge from the shadows, Taeyeon vanished immediately, Gwendolyn sitting there paralyzed with fear. Amelia herself was about to take off again, stopping and turning back when she realized her owner was not doing the same.

The gun was now pointed straight at her.

“ **Master Gwen!** ” Amelia barked as she ran with full force at the fox, tackling her out of the way just as the gun fired off. With a whine, the beagle took the hit, the bullet burying itself into her upper forepaw as she collapsed to the ground. The impact snapped Gwendolyn out of her daze, regaining her bearings and processing what had just occurred. “ **Amelia!** ”

“ **Master Gwen! Run! Amelia okay! Go!** ” she snarled when the vulpine inched closer, finally registering the gun that was once again pointed at her. Scrambling for a moment, she ran, narrowly avoiding the next bullet. With a startled cry, she sped up, hearing the patter of the hunter behind her, tears welling in her eyes.

She was able to dodge the following two bullets, breathing heavily as she now ran as fast as she could, taking random twists and turns in her efforts to lose him, as he was never more than twenty feet away. ‘ _ Why isn’t this working!? _ ’ She thought, panicking at how well he was able to keep up. ‘ _ He’s not even a tracker or a runner! _ ’ As she glanced back to see just how far the perpetrator was from her, she tripped over the root of a tree, doing a few tuck and rolls before she was steady on her feet again. But as she was starting to run again, the pause she had taken to get up was just enough time for him to take another shot at her, grazing the leg of her hind paw.

Yelping, she stumbled, trying to speed away with everything she had again, but the pain in her leg was absolutely unbearable, and she was quick to wear out this time. Panting from how exhausted she was, she kept running anyway, the hobbling of her leg slowing her down significantly. ‘ _ I can’t… I have to… stop… _ ’ She whined in defeat as she collapsed against the trunk of a tall oak tree, counting the seconds until the hunter caught up to her. Once he was in her field of vision, she lifted herself up on her front paws, the tears in her eyes spilling over as he pointed the gun at her.

“ **B… Baekhyun… please…** ”

He froze when he suddenly heard his name, lowering his gun a bit when he realized it had seemingly come from the fox. “ **Don’t kill me… please don’t kill me… I don’t want to die here, not like this…** ”

“I’m going absolutely fucking crazy,” he muttered to himself as he shook his head, taking aim at the animal once more. There was no possible way animals could talk, much less with a voice he recognized. ‘ _ This is for all those years of ridicule… now they won’t be the ones laughing this year. _ ’

Gwendolyn, seeing that he was not going to listen—‘ _ Could he even understand me? _ ’—she closed her eyes tight and folded her ears back, bracing herself for the sound of the bullet leaving the barrel, the sound that would end her life.

A sound that would never come.

Still able to hear his heavy breathing and her own heavy, fright-filled panting, she slowly reopened her eyes, staring back at the pair of wide, brown eyes looking up at her. Glancing around, she found that she was currently about four feet in the air, and still ascending higher, her body surrounded by light.

Baekhyun watched as the fox spun around slowly while suspended in the air, the light that was emitting from her body rather bright, nearly blinding him. He shielded his eyes with his hand as he noticed the rapid changes happening to the fox—namely, the arms and legs it was sprouting, and the disappearing snout and fur it trained in for a human nose and skin. He gaped in shock and awe, taking a few steps back when her body began to descend, the light motes floating off one by one, taking the glow with it, dimming before disappearing completely once she was lying on the ground again.

“… Gw—…  _ Gwendolyn _ !?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah I know I said this was on hiatus, but with how often I actually bother updating any of the series I have going rn and because I was already close to finishing this chapter anyway, I figured I may as well post it  
> I'm still not completely over what happened, nor do I completely forgive Baek for it, but I was never someone that could stay mad for long  
> holding grudges and being annoyed for long periods of time, yes, but genuine anger is something I can't do for too long it takes a lot of energy to keep it going  
> so yeah  
> this story updates when it updates, that's all I can say

**Author's Note:**

> so basically Baek and Gwen do a lot of fighting but also he realises he can't just leave her be bc everyone's hunting her ass down  
> the audio and video attached to Baek gets hella distorted upon her transformation and then he has to do away with the equipment completely and his teammates are like ???????  
> blah blah blah hunting and bickering and avoiding teammates slowly falling in love etc etc  
> the twist was that on the last day at sundown Chanyeol manages to corner Gwen in fox form {she's not with Baek in this particular moment; why? idk I didn't think quite THAT far ahead} and he shoots her and kills her and then upon death she transforms into her human form and he's like WHAT?????? and then Baek is like WTF YOU KILLED HER WHY but then Taeyeon appears and is in grief as well and is like "I failed my mission" and she and Baek have a cry and then she's like "... no I can fix this"  
> "omg how?"  
> "... tell Gwen she was the best first curse I could ask for" and then sacrifices her own life to bring her back and it's super sad and whatever
> 
>  
> 
> [personal twitter](http://www.twitter.com/lesimperatrices)  
> 


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